There are many characteristics that make up a comedy. A comedy generally has a happy ending for all concerned, and a plot which can contain elements of slapstick or farce. (But not necessarily--romantic comedies do not usually have such elements) Characteristics such as mistaken identity, battle of the sexes, and jumping to conclusions are what set the comedic story apart from the tragedy. Within a comedy, no matter how much fault, and dismay may appear within the story, there always seems to be the classic ending of “…and they all lived happily ever after…” Comedies capture the viewer with a sense of compassion and love for the characters in the story. Each character has their own essence, to which they pertain a flaw of some sorts, which the audience can relate to. With the relation to characters there is defiantly a certain interest that is grabbed by the actors, which sucks the audience into the show.
The Satyr Play
of unknown origin, had to be mastered by tragedians
Chorus-half-man, half-beast - satyrs, companions of Dionysus
sometimes the story is connected with the tragedy it accompanies, but not usually
burlesque of mythology - ridiculing gods or heroes
Examples: The Cyclops - Euripides - from The Odyssey - where Odysseus meets the Cyclops and a captive band of satyrs The Trackers - Sophocles - much is extant - about Apollo's attempt to find a herd of cattle stolen by Hermes, god of thieves.
READING 3: Satyr Play (Euripides' //Cyclops//)
READING 4: Aristophanes' //Frogs//
READING 5: Menander's //The Litigants//
READING 6: //The Oxyrhynchus Mime// ("The Adulteress")
Video: From Satyr Play to ComedyThere are many characteristics that make up a comedy. A comedy generally has a happy ending for all concerned, and a plot which can contain elements of slapstick or farce. (But not necessarily--romantic comedies do not usually have such elements) Characteristics such as mistaken identity, battle of the sexes, and jumping to conclusions are what set the comedic story apart from the tragedy. Within a comedy, no matter how much fault, and dismay may appear within the story, there always seems to be the classic ending of “…and they all lived happily ever after…” Comedies capture the viewer with a sense of compassion and love for the characters in the story. Each character has their own essence, to which they pertain a flaw of some sorts, which the audience can relate to. With the relation to characters there is defiantly a certain interest that is grabbed by the actors, which sucks the audience into the show.
The Satyr Play
- of unknown origin, had to be mastered by tragedians
- Chorus-half-man, half-beast - satyrs, companions of Dionysus
- sometimes the story is connected with the tragedy it accompanies, but not usually
- burlesque of mythology - ridiculing gods or heroes
- structure similar to tragedy
- everyday and colloquial language
- shorter afterpieces to tragedies
source: http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/ancientgreek.htm#ComExamples:
The Cyclops - Euripides - from The Odyssey - where Odysseus meets the Cyclops and a captive band of satyrs
The Trackers - Sophocles - much is extant - about Apollo's attempt to find a herd of cattle stolen by Hermes, god of thieves.
The Cyclops - Text
Euripidies
Greek Satyr and Old Greek Comedy
Cyclop - Euripides
The Cyclops
Greek Satyr and Old Greek Comedy